Bleeding Heart Restaurant and, in different buildings, both a Bistro and a Tavern, are clustered around Bleeding Heart Yard in Hatton Garden, and the Restaurant, our destination for the day, first opened its doors in 1983, so near on 30 years ago. We've been here before several times and enjoyed it, but our last meal at the restaurant was poor and we put that down to a bad day. Returning for lunch today, sadly, we experienced another bad meal encountering problems with every dish put before us. We came away feeling that Bleeding Heart Restaurant is now a somewhat tired concept.

Bleeding Heart is a very French restaurant, undoubtedly authentic, with all the staff we have encountered during our visits there French also. The problem we also encountered however is that the whole restaurant seemed to possess a somewhat arrogant tone, the staff seemingly indifferent to us as customers and god forbid that they should actually smile at you.

In that respect it felt dated, showing its three decades, and harking back to a time when French food ruled unquestionably such that top French restaurants often manifested an underlying air of contempt for the customer and their 'primitive' palates. The result was service that could be construed as intimidating, certainly uncomfortable for the guest, and at odds with their website claim that they offer 'a uniquely welcoming ambience'. Well, come to think of it, it is something of a unique ambience they offer, just not a friendly one.

All this could be forgiven if they offered a genuinely exciting food experience but there really is nothing food-wise to get excited about. For starters, it was Steak Tartare with Soft-poached Quails Egg and Parmesan (£11.50), and Cornish Crab and Crayfish Tail Tian with Sweet Cured Dill Cucumber and Avocado (£11.75). Both were unbalanced, each dominated by a single overwhelming flavour. In the case of the Steak Tartare, it was Worcestershire sauce with nothing, if there was anything else, having a chance. For the Cornish Crab and Crayfish Tail Tian, brown crab-meat hijacked everything while also possessing a slightly off taste. There was no balance and no finesse in either dish though worse was to come with the mains.

It sounded good on the menu, Lobster Risotto Provencale with Parmesan Tuile (£24.95), but when it arrived at the table, the first thought we both had is 'where's the lobster meat?' Yes, the lobster head had been placed centre stage to remind you what you ordered, but as can be seen in the picture below, there's only one significantly visible piece of lobster meat (a small claw) and this, as can also be clearly seen, still has the cartilage running through it. A couple of other lobster 'scraps' are mixed up through the risotto, very poor for the second most expensive main course offered on the menu.

And then there's the risotto itself which had seen all the joy cooked out of it, reminiscent of an 'all you can eat' buffet risotto that has been sitting in a heated tray for a couple of hours being ignored. This was a dish then that failed on every level.

Our other main was Assiette of Suckling Pig and Crackling with Apricot and Sage Faggots, Pommes Fondant and Bramley Apple Sauce (£21.75). Everything on this plate was dry and sad. The sauce was the only thing that eased the burden of eating it. There was simply nothing on this plate that had been cooked well, everything had had the life cooked out of it.

If it were simply that the world has moved on, it might be forgiveable. Places like Burger and Lobster offer a whole new vibe and better value, places like Pollen Street Social just seem more relevant, and the highest standards of French based cooking can be enjoyed at similar prices at Alyn Williams at The Westbury. But it is not just that, they gave every impression today of simply being unable to cook and we enjoyed nothing of our meal.

Bleeding Heart Restaurant says on its website that it has been described by Square Meal as 'arguably the finest French restaurant in the City'. In our opinion, it misses this accolade by a wide margin, and less than 10 minutes walk away is restaurant that we believe can lay a significantly greater claim to the title, Bistrot Bruno Loubet where we ended up taking our desserts... and they were simple, but simply brilliant.

Couldn't agree more. Having never sampled it in it's heyday I have nothing to compare it with. But our office having recently located nearby, I've tried the bistro, the tavern and the restaurant and they're all hugely unimpressive. The restaurant being particular let down. Wouldn't go near either again. (And I'd concur on Bistro Bruno Loubet!)

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thecriticalcouple

03/01/2012 14:21

John,

thanks for the comment. really pleased to discover your blog too but impossible to leave a comment as the 'prove you're not a robot' word scramble is impossible to decipher. tried twice and failed. sorry.

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peter richards

03/03/2012 18:43

wow!!! looks like a time warp in to dodgy 80s food, i yhink they need to buy some modern books and check out the pics!!! thanks for the warning it was on my list to go>...